School Curriculum: Drugs and Medicines

This page is designed to enable parents to understand what their child should be learning, when they should be learning it, and what degree of mastery the child should have attained (at a median level) by a certain grade level. For Homeschoolers, we hope that this page will serve as a valuable asset in establishing a baseline curriculum. For parents whose children attend public or private schools (or for the inquisitive student) this page should give some guidance as to whether or not the school curriculum and methods are providing students with an adequate standard of education. 

What is meant by "Drugs and Medicines," why is it important, and how is it approached ? Below is a description of the core discipline and its components, and the answers to why-how-when these components are taught. Drugs and Medicines components have median level goals to be attained by the end of Grade 2, by the end of Grade 4, by the end of Grade 6, by the end of Grade 8, and by the end of Grade 12.

This page does not contain articles for education in this discipline.
For educational articles, go to: Drugs and Medicines: A. Medicines, B. Alcohol, Tobacco, and Other Drugs, C. Dependency/Addiction and Treatment

Descriptive Statement: This standard aims to provide students with information on the responsible use of medicines as well as the effects of alcohol, tobacco, and other drugs. The appropriate use of medicines can prevent serious health problems, reduce absenteeism from work and school, and enhance the quality of life. Conversely, the misuse or abuse of substances such as alcohol, tobacco, and other drugs can impair judgment and lead to illness and injury. Helping students to acknowledge the internal and external pressures that influence them to use substances enables and empowers them to make choices that support a healthy, active lifestyle.

STANDARD 2.3 (DRUGS AND MEDICINES) ALL STUDENTS WILL LEARN AND APPLY INFORMATION ABOUT ALCOHOL, TOBACCO, OTHER DRUGS AND MEDICINES TO MAKE DECISIONS THAT SUPPORT A HEALTHY, ACTIVE LIFESTYLE.

Strands and Cumulative Progress Indicators

By the end of Grade 2, students will:

A. Medicines

1. Identify different kinds of medicines.

2. Explain that medicines can be helpful or harmful and that when used correctly, medicines can help keep people healthy.

3. Discuss basic rules when taking medicines.

B. Alcohol, Tobacco and Other Drugs

1. Define drug and give examples of harmful and/or illegal drugs.

2. Explain that tobacco use contributes to lung diseases and fires.

3. Discuss how tobacco smoke impacts the environment and the health of nonsmokers.

4. Discuss how alcohol use contributes to injuries such as falls and motor vehicle crashes

5. Identify substances that should never be consumed or inhaled such as drug look-alikes, glue, poisons, and cleaning fluids.

C. Dependency/Addiction and Treatment

1. Explain that some people cannot control their use of alcohol, tobacco, and other drugs.

2. Explain that people who abuse alcohol, tobacco, and other drugs can get help.

Building upon knowledge and skills gained in preceding grades, by the end of Grade 4, students will:

A. Medicines

1. Distinguish between over-the-counter and prescription medicines.

2. Identify commonly used medicines and discuss why they are used.

3. Discuss the importance of taking medicines as ordered, not sharing medicines with others, and reporting any side effects to a trusted adult.

B. Alcohol, Tobacco, and Other Drugs

1. Explain why it is illegal to use or possess certain drugs/substances.

2. Describe the short- and long-term physical effects of tobacco use.

3. Discuss the impact of second-hand/passive smoke on the health of nonsmokers.

4. Identify the short- and long-term physical and behavioral effects of alcohol use and abuse.

5. Identify the physical and behavioral effects of marijuana use.

6. Explain that brain damage, lung damage, and death can occur from inhaling certain substances, such as solvents, propellants, and medicinal gases.

C. Dependency/Addiction and Treatment

1. Discuss signs that a person might have a problem with the use of alcohol, tobacco, and other drugs.

2. Identify where individuals with a substance abuse problem can get help.

3. Differentiate among drug use, abuse, and misuse.

4. Describe how advertising, peers, and adults influence children and teenagers to try alcohol, tobacco, and other drugs.

Building upon knowledge and skills gained in preceding grades, by the end of Grade 6, students will:

A. Medicines

1. Discuss factors to consider when choosing an over-the-counter medicine.

2. Discuss medicines used to treat common diseases and health conditions.

3. Discuss the safe administration and storage of over-the-counter and prescription medicines.

4. Describe factors that impact the effectiveness of a medicine.

B. Alcohol, Tobacco, and Other Drugs

1. Describe how tobacco use contributes to the incidence of respiratory diseases, cancer, and cardiovascular disease.

2. Describe ways to reduce the health impact of tobacco smoke on non-smokers.

3. Describe how the use and abuse of alcohol impacts behavior and contributes to the incidence of illness and injuries.

4. Discuss the short- and long-term physical and behavioral effects of inhalant use, including brain, heart, and lung damage and death.

5. Discuss the classifications of illegal drugs and controlled substances and give examples of each.

6. Describe the physical and behavioral effects of each classification of drugs.

7. Discuss the relationship between injected drug use and diseases such as HIV/AIDS and hepatitis.

8. Discuss the legal and financial consequences of the use, sale, and possession of illegal substances.

C. Dependency/Addiction and Treatment

1. Describe the signs and symptoms of a substance abuse problem and the stages that lead to dependency/addiction.

2. Identify ways to quit using alcohol, tobacco, and other drugs and discuss factors that support an individual to quit.

3. Discuss factors that contribute to the use and abuse of alcohol, tobacco, and other drugs by adolescents, such as advertising and the media, group pressures, low self-esteem, genetics, and poor role models.

4. Describe how substance abuse affects the individual and the family and describe ways that family and friends can support a drug-free lifestyle.

Building upon knowledge and skills gained in preceding grades, by the end of Grade 8, students will:

A. Medicines

1. Compare and contrast commonly used over-the-counter medicines.

2. Classify commonly administered medicines and describe the potential side effects of each classification.

3. Recommend safe practices for the use of prescription medicines.

4. Compare and contrast the benefits and dangers of naturally occurring substances, such as herbs, organics, and supplements.

B. Alcohol, Tobacco, and Other Drugs

1. Investigate the relationship between tobacco use and respiratory diseases, cancer, heart disease, stroke, and injuries.

2. Investigate the health risks posed to nonsmokers by second hand/passive smoking.

3. Investigate how the use and abuse of alcohol contributes to illnesses such as cancer, liver disease, heart disease, and injuries.

4. Analyze how the use and abuse of alcohol impacts thinking, reaction time, and behavior.

5. Describe sudden sniffing syndrome and the resultant brain, nerve, and vital organ damage that can result from the use of inhaled substances.

6. Compare and contrast the physical and behavioral effects of each classification of drugs.

7. Analyze health risks associated with injecting drug use.

8. Investigate the legal and financial consequences of the use, sale, and possession of illegal substances.

9. Discuss how the use of alcohol and other drugs influences decision-making and places one at risk for sexual assault, pregnancy, and STDs.

C. Dependency/Addiction and Treatment

1. Analyze the physical, social, and emotional indicators and stages of dependency.

2. Discuss ways to quit using substances and discuss factors that support the ability to quit.

3. Analyze factors that influence the use and abuse alcohol, tobacco, and other drugs.

4. Describe how substance abuse affects the individual, the family, and the community.

5. Discuss how tolerance, synergistic effects, and antagonistic effects have an impact on the use of drugs and medicines.

6. Discuss theories about dependency, such as genetic predisposition, gender-related predisposition, and multiple risks.

Building upon knowledge and skills gained in preceding grades, by the end of Grade 12, students will:

A. Medicines

1. Investigate the use of new or experimental medicines and discuss the potential risks and benefits.

2. Evaluate the effectiveness of a medicine, considering the dosage, side effects, route of administration, cost, and benefits vs. risks.

3. Debate the benefits and dangers of naturally occurring substances such as herbal supplements.

B. Alcohol, Tobacco, and Other Drugs

1. Investigate tobacco use as a contributing or causative factor in the incidence of cancer, heart disease, emphysema and other lung diseases, and stroke.

2. Assess the impact of passive smoke on the health of children, individuals with allergies and asthma, and nonsmokers and describe initiatives created to lessen the impact.

3. Summarize the impact of alcohol use and abuse on body systems and organs including the cardiovascular system, the liver, the reproductive system, and the immune system.

4. Describe the impact of alcohol and other drugs on those areas of the brain that control vision, sleep, coordination, and reaction time and assess how the use and abuse of alcohol and other drugs impairs behavior, judgment, and memory.

5. Investigate the relationship between alcohol and other drug use and the incidence of motor vehicle crashes.

6. Predict the physical, behavioral, and legal impacts of commonly abused substances, such as marijuana, inhalants, anabolic steroids, and party drugs.

7. Investigate the relationship between injected drug use and the incidence of diseases such as HIV and hepatitis.

8. Investigate the relationship between the use of alcohol, GHB, Ecstasy, and other drugs and the incidence of date rape, sexual assault, STDs, and unintended pregnancy.

C. Dependency/Addiction and Treatment

1. Compare and contrast the physical, social, and emotional indicators of possible substance abuse.

2. Compare and contrast the physical and psychological stages of dependency.

3. Assess and evaluate factors that influence the use of alcohol, tobacco, and other drugs.

4. Evaluate factors that support an individual to quit using substances.

5. Predict the short-and long-term impacts of substance abuse on the individual, the family, the community, and society.

 

 

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